Do you know what sets your soul on fire? Is there something you get really excited to wake up for each day? A hobby that you just can’t wait to work on? If someone asked what you are passionate about, would you have an answer? If you’re like a lot of people, you have absolutely no idea.
I was in a group setting recently where we were asked if we could have any career we wanted and money wasn’t a concern, what would we do? It was amazing how many people had no idea. Even digging deeper, a lot of people didn’t know what they enjoy doing or what their hobbies are. I think it’s fair to say, in general, there isn’t as much “free time” as there used to be. People work long hours just to afford their monthly bills, parents devote every waking hour to raising their children, we spend what little energy is left at the end of the day to do laundry and dishes and mow the grass. When we do have some down time, more often than not it’s in front of the tv or scrolling through social media. This is a whole other blog post in and of itself, but it’s no wonder with all that is going on, rarely do we make time to figure out what it is we truly enjoy doing.
I understand it’s not practical that everyone can do what they truly love for a career and I’m not asking you to take that leap, but everyone should KNOW what it is they love. Everyone should have a passion, something that lights them up inside. If you don’t, then you need to take the time to start exploring this idea. You don’t have to devote hours to random hobbies hoping something clicks. Pay attention to what excites you. Pay attention to what others see in you. I was having a conversation with someone who doesn’t know me all that well and they commented about how I lit up talking about a specific thing. It was completely unconscious to me, but it says a lot about where my true passion lies when an acquaintance can physically see the difference in me based on what I’m talking about. I believe we all have these telling moments, but we’re often too rushed to notice them in ourselves and in others. Start paying attention. If you notice it in someone else, say something. Let them know that you can see how passionate they are about whatever it is. Look for it in yourself. After that comment I started realizing how excited I did get to talk about that topic compared to other similar things in my life.
Why does all of this matter? Because life is short and modern day life is lacking in enthusiasm, excitement, passion and purpose. So many of us end up on paths by default without ever taking the time to decide for ourselves what we want out of this life. The world needs more people doing their soul’s work because that’s where the magic lies. That’s where we can make our greatest contribution to society. It’s not selfish to do what you love, it’s exactly what you were put here to do.
